Gabi: A Girl in Pieces
by Isabel Quintero
Awards and Recognitions
Per this website.
- 2015 William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel
- 2015 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
- 2015 Tomás Rivera Book Award, Works for Older Children
- 2015 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
- 2015 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Top 10 Selection
- 2015 Américas Award Commended Title
- Amelia Bloomer List, part of the American Library Association, Social Responsibilities Round Table’s Feminist Task Force
- Booklist Best Books of 2014
- School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
- Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Summary
Gabi,
a Mexican American girl who is living in Southern California documents
her life in a funny, bod, and raw diary format. Gabi is about to start
her senior year of high school, and she uses her diary to talk about her
life: friends, family, sex education, etc. Gabi considers herself to be
fat but more in a factual way than a negative way. Her diary catalogs
her weight and body image and how she rarely feels good about herself.
Her mother constantly comments on her weight and the need to change her
eating habits.
Gabi's
mom got pregnant without being married, her grandmother calling it a
sin, but Gabi is still named after her grandmother. Her mother was beat
constantly because she was unwed and pregnant. Gabi's mom reminds her to
keep her "eyes open, legs closed" so that she does not turn out like
her mother. Gabi's mom tries to keep her away from being a bad girl and
wants her to only be a good girl. Gabi's life is a constant struggle to
see women's bodies put into the public eye, while mothers want their
bodies to be hidden.
Gabi's
father is a meth addict and effects the family negatively. She includes
letters in her diary to her father, but never has the courage to show
them to him. His addiction struggles to pull the family apart with him
constantly leaving to try to get clean, disappearing for long periods of
time.
Cindy
and Sebastian are Gabi's best friends. Cindy is also Hispanic and Gabi
is mad at her that she is now becoming another stereotype of unwed,
pregnant Hispanics.Cindy got pregnant by German, a boy Gabi considers to
be an idiot.
The
biggest turn of events occurs when Cindy confesses to Gabi that
German didn't just have sex with her, he raped her. Gabi had heard of
rapes before but never thought that they would occur in her
neighborhood. Cindy had been drunk with German in his car and things
went too far. When Cindy wanted to stop, German continued to pin her
down and rape her. Cindy refuses to call the police because of the way
German manipulated her, saying she had already said yes and could not
take that back. German never hit her either, another reason why Cindy
refuses to call the police.
For
a few seconds, Gabi looks at German and thinks that he couldn't have
raped Cindy because he looks so sweet and innocent. She slaps herself
back into reality, confronts him on the rape, and ends up physically
attacking him, leading to her being suspended from school and unable to
walk at her senior graduation. Gabi thought Cindy would be okay with
everything, but Cindy is furious with Gabi getting into the middle of
things, leading Gabi to look up hotline number for Cindy to reach out
to. After a struggle, Gabi gets Cindy to call a hotline number.
All
while dealing with Cindy, their other friend, Sebastian, came out to
Gabi a while ago. Instead of actually telling her, he wrote "I'm gay" on
a napkin and handed it to her. Gabi knew he was gay, accepted it, but
Sebastian didn't want to tell his family in case of issues. When he
finally does tell them, he is kicked out of the hose. Sebastian ends up
staying at Gabi's house until eventually moving in with his aunt.
While
staying with his aunt, Sebastian begins dating a Bolivian boy named
Pedro. His aunt is fine with hi dating a boy and being gay, but she does
not want him to engage in sexual activities, especially in the house.
His aunt busts Pedro and Sebastian hooking up and sends hi to a
psychologist to talk it out and eventually a priest to pray the gay
away. Sebastian revolts and joins the GSA community at school in hopes
of support with his desperate time of need.
As
Gabi chronologie her life in her diary, we learn she has dated a few
boys, finally settling on one for the longest part of the story. He is
sweet and asks to go farther with her rather than assuming. The two
engage in sexual intercourse, and she realizes that rape may be around,
but their are kind boys who respect girls too.
College
comes and Gabi's mom wants her to stay home because college is an
excuse to go wild. Gabi has grown and become her own woman and decides
to do what she wants to do in the end.
Book Trailer
Using the book's cover, the video has close to 5,000 views and informs you of key points of the novel.
Themes
Juveniles,
Pregnancy, Gay/Lesbian, Dysfunctional Family Life, Families, Mexican
Americans, Coming of Age, Accepting Yourself, Society's Expectations,
Gender Roles, Ambitions, and Dreams.
Similar Themed Books
When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds, How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon, and The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Son Foley.
Other Books by Isabel Quintero
Quintero
has written two other books, one a children's illustrated book and the
other a photographic book, both published in 2017.
Teaching Ideas
Ms.
Abernand assigns the class a few poems. Read one of the poems listed
below and answer the following questions. *Note: You may have to read
more than one poem to find one that truly resonates with you!*
- Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
- We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks
- Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
- Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath
- Anyone lived in a pretty how town by ee cummings
- Howl by Allen Ginsberg
- Dead Pig’s Revenge by Michele Serros
- The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
The questions are as follows:
- Why did Ms. Abernand choose that poem for the class?
- How does it apply to the book as a whole?
- How does it apply to Gabi as an individual?
- How does it apply to you?
- What did you like most about the poem? The book?
- 2015 William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel
- 2015 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
- 2015 Tomás Rivera Book Award, Works for Older Children
- 2015 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
- 2015 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Top 10 Selection
- 2015 Américas Award Commended Title
- Amelia Bloomer List, part of the American Library Association, Social Responsibilities Round Table’s Feminist Task Force
- Booklist Best Books of 2014
- School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
- Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Gabi,
a Mexican American girl who is living in Southern California documents
her life in a funny, bod, and raw diary format. Gabi is about to start
her senior year of high school, and she uses her diary to talk about her
life: friends, family, sex education, etc. Gabi considers herself to be
fat but more in a factual way than a negative way. Her diary catalogs
her weight and body image and how she rarely feels good about herself.
Her mother constantly comments on her weight and the need to change her
eating habits.
Gabi's
mom got pregnant without being married, her grandmother calling it a
sin, but Gabi is still named after her grandmother. Her mother was beat
constantly because she was unwed and pregnant. Gabi's mom reminds her to
keep her "eyes open, legs closed" so that she does not turn out like
her mother. Gabi's mom tries to keep her away from being a bad girl and
wants her to only be a good girl. Gabi's life is a constant struggle to
see women's bodies put into the public eye, while mothers want their
bodies to be hidden.
Gabi's
father is a meth addict and effects the family negatively. She includes
letters in her diary to her father, but never has the courage to show
them to him. His addiction struggles to pull the family apart with him
constantly leaving to try to get clean, disappearing for long periods of
time.
Cindy
and Sebastian are Gabi's best friends. Cindy is also Hispanic and Gabi
is mad at her that she is now becoming another stereotype of unwed,
pregnant Hispanics.Cindy got pregnant by German, a boy Gabi considers to
be an idiot.
The
biggest turn of events occurs when Cindy confesses to Gabi that
German didn't just have sex with her, he raped her. Gabi had heard of
rapes before but never thought that they would occur in her
neighborhood. Cindy had been drunk with German in his car and things
went too far. When Cindy wanted to stop, German continued to pin her
down and rape her. Cindy refuses to call the police because of the way
German manipulated her, saying she had already said yes and could not
take that back. German never hit her either, another reason why Cindy
refuses to call the police.
For
a few seconds, Gabi looks at German and thinks that he couldn't have
raped Cindy because he looks so sweet and innocent. She slaps herself
back into reality, confronts him on the rape, and ends up physically
attacking him, leading to her being suspended from school and unable to
walk at her senior graduation. Gabi thought Cindy would be okay with
everything, but Cindy is furious with Gabi getting into the middle of
things, leading Gabi to look up hotline number for Cindy to reach out
to. After a struggle, Gabi gets Cindy to call a hotline number.
All
while dealing with Cindy, their other friend, Sebastian, came out to
Gabi a while ago. Instead of actually telling her, he wrote "I'm gay" on
a napkin and handed it to her. Gabi knew he was gay, accepted it, but
Sebastian didn't want to tell his family in case of issues. When he
finally does tell them, he is kicked out of the hose. Sebastian ends up
staying at Gabi's house until eventually moving in with his aunt.
While
staying with his aunt, Sebastian begins dating a Bolivian boy named
Pedro. His aunt is fine with hi dating a boy and being gay, but she does
not want him to engage in sexual activities, especially in the house.
His aunt busts Pedro and Sebastian hooking up and sends hi to a
psychologist to talk it out and eventually a priest to pray the gay
away. Sebastian revolts and joins the GSA community at school in hopes
of support with his desperate time of need.
As
Gabi chronologie her life in her diary, we learn she has dated a few
boys, finally settling on one for the longest part of the story. He is
sweet and asks to go farther with her rather than assuming. The two
engage in sexual intercourse, and she realizes that rape may be around,
but their are kind boys who respect girls too.
College
comes and Gabi's mom wants her to stay home because college is an
excuse to go wild. Gabi has grown and become her own woman and decides
to do what she wants to do in the end.
- Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
- We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks
- Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
- Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath
- Anyone lived in a pretty how town by ee cummings
- Howl by Allen Ginsberg
- Dead Pig’s Revenge by Michele Serros
- The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
The questions are as follows:
- Why did Ms. Abernand choose that poem for the class?
- How does it apply to the book as a whole?
- How does it apply to Gabi as an individual?
- How does it apply to you?
- What did you like most about the poem? The book?
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